DHAKA, March 17, 2024 (BSS)- It was not an exception for a poor village girl who set up an example by making her self-reliant after the end of her brief troubled married life. The ill-fated Ratna of Rajshahi underwent a traumatised period due to her tortured married life during which her husband and his family members constantly created pressure on her for dowry.
 
The nightmare ended with her broken marriage and subsequently making a path of her standing on her own feet.
 
Rants was married off in 2002, and despite their poor financial condition her parents gifted gold, furniture, bicycle and Taka 20,000 cash as dowry to her husband. She looked for a peaceful life with her husband, but she did not know it was beyond her reach.
 
Trouble started in her family just after a few days of her marriage. Her husband named Milan was giving pressure to bring more money from her parents and it increased day by day. Once, they started repressing Ratna physically and mentally. Even, Ratna was beaten severely by her husband when she was pregnant for four months and none of her father-in-law’s family came to save her. The neighbours came to protect Ratna and sent her to a relative's house. And later, she was sent to a hospital for treatment.
 
The story of Ratna, who used to live in Rajshahi, could be stopped here. But, her real story started from here and she became well after getting a month-long treatment from One-Stop Crisis Center of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. She lodged a case with Mahanpur Thana against her husband and the police arrested her husband Milan and his family members.
 
Ratna, whose full name is Anju Ara Akther Ratna, didn’t know what would happen in future. But, one day she was called by the crisis center and they helped her. She started a business of boutiques. And now, she is conducting two businesses- a beauty parlor and a boutique house.
 
She is now passing her days happily along with her school-going son. Ratna said, “It was not so easy to become successful in life. My husband and his family members tried to kill me. But I escaped. After lodging the case, I fell into different problems. They forced me to withdraw the case. Even, they threatened me to kill. But, I was determined.”
 
She said, “I should have done something for my child. I also need to be empowered as other women encouraged me to become solvent".

Human rights activist Advocate Monowara Haque said Bangladesh is now a role model before the globe in women empowerment. And it has been possible only for the will power and different time-befitting steps taken by the Awami League government, she added.
 
She said women are now holding many top positions at different sectors and discharging their responsibilities with utmost sincerity. Women don’t want to lag behind any longer, she added.